Welcome to Leslie's beautiful life. Join me in an adventure to find ways to make every corner of life beautiful. Through practical beauty advice and tutorials,home improvements, fashion,and the wonderment of life.
Feeling a little pressure to come up with a costume? Can't quite decide what you want to be? Well, I can help with that. There are so many companies that make kit these days. I have put together a few of these pre-made kits to show you.
Starting with a few of the kits that Sephora has to offer:
From top to bottom there is Vampire in a box, Peacock, Showgirl and Devil. Accessories not included. The kits are all so lovely. The colors are all beautifully put together and they have great step by step instructions. You can find video demonstrations for how to do each kit online at www.Sephora.com.
www.starcostumes.com provides you with some very cool, creative ideas for getting your Ghoul on. There are makeup kits, as well as costumes, wigs, masks, and eyelashes.
Here are just a couple kits that I liked:
World of warcraft night elf kit.
Avatar na'vi kit.
Other internet sites that are great for getting your halloween goodies are:
www.amazon.com
OrientalTrading.com
www.sillyfarm.com
If you want to do a costume off the rack locally, Party city is great for kits and for costumes. Plus you can pick up your party supplies at the same time. Have a blast as you shop for yourself and for others to prepare for this time of year. Two weeks to go.
People say you can tell a lot about a person by their smile. I know that a smile can make a great first impression. I have had smile issues for a good chunk of my adult life. As a young teen my dentist thought my teeth had too much of a gap on the bottom. I had to wear rubber bands and spacers to push them closer together. This did such an awesome job that I grew up with teeth stacked on top of each other like a bull dog. Lovely looking! It bothered me, but I hid it well. They were on the bottom, and thus easier to hide. The over crowding of these teeth caused a bit of chipping. Now you have the back ground. Here is the meat of the story. Last week I got my chipped teeth built up with a dental compound that matches my tooth color. It is sort of like acrylic nails but harder. The process was ummmmm, interesting. But I really like the results. Yes, my teeth are still crowded. The work that was done makes them look like they aren't though. The Dentist did a lot of sanding and grinding and buffing oh my! Now my smile is something a bit more OMPH! I quite enjoy it. If there is a little something; something you are wishing you could correct in your grin, just do it. Talk to your Dentist. You might be surprised at what they are able to do. Some of it is relatively affordable. Being able to smile pretty for the camera, makes for a truly beautiful life. I encourage you to take care of yourself well, and have a beautiful life for yourself today. Leslie
As you know by now, breast cancer is an issue that has been up close and personal with me. I'd like to remind you all if you have breast you should be examining them. Even as young as your 20's you should be doing a monthly self breast exam. In your 30's you should be continuing this practice and adding yearly mammograms to the routine. If you even suspect that you have something to be concerned about, Never, Ever EVER let a doctor blow you off or make you feel stupid. It is your body and you know it better than anyone in the world. You could say you have a masters degree in YOUR NAME HERE ology. For me that would be Lesliesbodyology.
Today I was using stumble upon. That tool rocks! Anyway, while using this I found some posters of an ad campaign for breast cancer awareness that was done overseas. They used body paint and... Well here. Let me just show you the images. They make a profound statement about how we focus too much on stuff we shouldn't and not enough on stuff that we should. This is rated R.
In recent months I have been changing many external things in my life to try and keep me internally healthy. One I have shared with you in detail not long ago was becoming a vegetarian. But I have also switched from over the counter hair color to a more plant based product. Henna. For months now I have been using Persian blonde by rainbow henna. This is considered neutral henna. But it really isn't henna at all. It comes from the Senna plant. Yea, that's right the one you hear about on all those laxative commercials. Same plant. I guess it has lots of uses. It is the only way to go lighter using plant based products. Henna will only do brown, red and black. So, I have been doing the senna and have decided to go a bit darker for Fall/Winter months. I made this little how to video in case you have thought about trying to use henna yourself. This is very conditioning. It coats the hair shaft and makes the hair texture feel thicker, and appear shinier. If you try it, I believe you will like it. Grab some popcorn and enjoy the movie!
About a year ago I made a commitment. I watched my daughter go through the process of living a vegetarian lifestyle, and she was doing so great health wise she was positively shining with a healthy glow. Seeing this, I decided this is a commitment I want to make. The day I chose to make it, was on Thanksgiving. The
biggest meat day of the year! LOL. I got my after dinner sleep on from eating a plate full of carbs. It was truly awesome. About mid year I got a bit of a craving for some hormel chili. BIG mistake. OIJ, did that stuff make me hurl. Not so nice. At that time I was also fighting off the massive fever from having an infection from the implant from breast reconstruction. Also not so nice. Other than that one slip up, I will have made it through a whole year in just a couple more months. The funny thing is. It was super easy. I have made a video to explain most of it to you. If you have any questions about it just email me here at the sight and I will be happy to help you in anyway I can. If you don't really have anything you want to ask but just don't like vegetarians, don't watch the video or email. Thanks!
Oh man! Have I got a product to share with you. I have been dying to try the potion in this dark blue bottle for a while now. It has been calling to me with it deep blue ethereal hazy color. Also the image of the lady on the bottle so Gypsy like and mysterious. Well, who could resist. I just didn't know what it was all about. But I love the benefit products. So, it is getting to the point where I have bought most of the line and get eager to try most new things that come out. I order some products at Sephora and then yesterday it was like a party in my mail box! Today I tried it out to keep my eyeliner from getting that raccoon look it gets by midday. Also I applied it to my mascara and overtop of my lipstick. With the usual face primer and shadow primer that goes on with my makeup, it didn't budge all day! This is a stunning product with unbelievable results in how it completes your makeup. You are truly going to love She Laq.
Ah, the change of seasons. The heat is leaving the air and a faint chill is taking its place. The leaves are starting to dancing off of the trees and drift slowly towards the ground. As seasons change so do wardrobes and makeup. So, as many women, we turn our thoughts to working our existing outfits or adding to them, and changing up our making for the season. You'll even find your fellas wanting a few new items to add a new look to the collection. Oh, but what colors to chose? What is the flavor of the day? I'm here to try and sort some of this out.
Last Autumn the popular color was Purple. Surprise! For Autumn 2010 it would seem to be the Fashion industries bread winner again. Take a look around. You will see shades of purple everywhere. Polish, hair extensions, shadows, lipsticks, As well as clothing and accessories. I have even seen the lovely shade being used in the cute little merch marketed towards college students for their dorms. Who doesn't love a purple microwave or coffee pot, huh?
I've just tooled through the Victoria's secret catalog and it is a purple explosion in there. Other than PINK I can't think of a more feminine and girly color than PURPLE! It is going to be such fun this season. I've already done a bit of shopping online and in store. I've hit sephora, and now all that is left to do is thrifting and all will be complete for the season.
Yes folks, I have been gone a long while. For about the past year I have really not felt well at all. I found out I had Fibromyalgia. I had just recovered from an undiagnosed infection after having tissue expansion for breast reconstruction. Getting to the place where I actually had the procedures to reconstruct my breast took me from the year 2000 to 2007. Let's just say I have a serious distrust of Doctors. Then coming down with this undiagnosed infection gave me a bit less trust. Right after that BOOM, hey, guess what you have, yea that's right Fibromyalgia. The catch all illness. Great news that.
So, that hospital stay was 18 months ago. I've felt icky every sense but have been pushing through life with every effort to have a positive beautiful attitude. Six weeks ago I has a nice long two week hospital stay for a breast infection. I got better and they sent me home. A week later the infection was back worse than before. The Doctor, who by the way I do trust with my life, looked at me and said the fight is over and it's time to take the implant out. They admitted me to the hospital for surgery the next day. I stayed in for about 5 days and now have been home almost two weeks. I cannot tell you how much better I feel. My fibro symptoms are gone all but the fatigue. Which could easily be from surgical recovery.
I tell you all of this first to explain my long absence. Also to let you know that life after losing your breast, or in my case, your implant can still be beautiful. It is so beautiful to not have a constant high fever. To not have a red raised hot welt where my breast should be. It is so beautiful to wear clothes and feel beautiful in them. To have a future reconstruction to look forward to. To have a nicely shaped rubber boob to wear in relatively sexy bras until I can heal enough to have that reconstructive surgery. I know that I am sharing a lot with Yawl. If I can't share the bruises and bumps in my beautiful life, then I can't claim that my beautiful life is genuine.
Just know that no matter the difficult and ugly things you deal with in your own lives. You can choose to mold them into something beautiful. It is sad when we go through difficulty. But much like Scarlet O'hara I hold this to be true. As God is my witness, I will never allow myself to act ugly again. I choose to live a beautiful life.
How is your beautiful life working out today? I am in the hospital with a yucky infection on my skin. Have you ever heard of cellutitus? NO, not cellulite. Silly people. It is just simply put a nasty infection. Well, It doesn't make my life feel beautiful much. What does though is the wonderful people caring for me and my terrific family. You guys are really the most beautiful part of my life. Sappy moment there. In the midst of not feeling beautiful, I wanted to poll you for the things you do when your at your worst to help you feel better. Be it herbal tea, to buying new lipstick. I want to know what makes you feel warm and fuzzy when you're down and out.
I can't do my usual pick me ups. Such as soak in a bubble bath or put a blanket in the drier and warm it for myself, but I did manage to find something to put a smile on my face. After all, Laughter is the best medicine. I get that from my family. Gosh do they make me laugh. This little video clip I came across made me smile a tad as well.
Here is a little photo of me in my fashion gown with naked face. Naked face is all the rage now since Jessica Simpson did that photo shoot without makeup.
But I am getting better and hope I'll be home soon. Then my cells will be beautiful, and I will feel beautiful too. Something about being in your own space helps you have more muchness, which is all you need to be your personal best.
Please email with what things you do to make yourselves feel better. I can't wait to hear your ideas. Or add a comment below this article.
I have made so many cosmetic purchases, clothing purchases, and skin care purchases. It is time to sit down and share them with you guys. I hope you enjoy this video
This is something I am trying out as a method for tidying up my messy makeup. Let me know your thoughts. Would you try this. Can you think of a prettier, more spacious way? More us user friendly or more easily transportable? Your thoughts are important to me. Lets get the discussion rolling
Are you stuck for what to get your special someone for Valentines day (or Hallmarktines day as I refer to it) this year? If so, have I got a great idea for you! Head on over to Spafinder.com and get thee a gift certificate at once. Your beloved can use this for products on their website or find a spa and use it there. It is a really thoughtful, romantic gift. Flowers die, chocolates make us gain weight, but a day at the spa she or he will never forget.
More details below:
The Perfect Valentine's Gift is the SpaFinder Instant Gift Certificate! You can now email or print for immediate delivery!
Relax - there's plenty of time to send the Valentine's gift your sweetheart desires. Just select the amount of your certificate, write your personal greeting and print or email. Instant delivery. Instant happiness!
SpaFinder Gift Certificates are welcomed at over 5,000 spas for fabulous massages, facials and much more. Easy to send and perfect for all your Valentines.
And, if you purchase an instant gift certificate from now through February 14, you can save 5% The promo code will be TAKE5.
Play Cupid this year with a SpaFinder Gift Certificates - the perfect way to treat a loved one to a day of ultimate pampering!
I was puttering around the internet and came across this new blog. New to me that is. It's call makeupper. Isn't that the coolest name? I have so much fun discovering something that is new to me. There are a lot of sites out there that are so similar. When you find something new and unique is just so refreshing. This blog is really packed full of useful tutorials, articles and reviews. Not to mention that there are some really awesome blog links to follow. It just so happens that the blog owner is running a contest. Her first ever. You should stumble by http://www.makeupper.blogspot.com. Check out the site, and while you are there enter her contest. You'll have a blast on this site. I can pretty much assure it.
I have always wanted to get a little tattoo of a dove. Just because it represents something religious to me. I've heard that I would regret it though and that has held me back. Have you ever watched L.A Ink? Kat Von D is so talented and beautiful. Not to mention a strong, smart business woman. She has recently launched her line of cosmetics in Sephora. One of her products is a tattoo cover up. I had been wondering how well a product like that can truly work. Kat shows us in this video and the pictures that I show below how amazing this new product can be. Most people don't have art that covers them as much as hers does, but you can see how it covers all her tattoos. So, a person with a small tat shouldn't have any trouble with coverage. In addition, I believe this may work much the same as dermaflag. A product designed to correct and conceal scars from burn victims. I am sure that you could use her cover to correct blemishes and scars as well.
Here is her video:
Here is her photo showing her artwork:
Here is a photo of her after the cover up has been applied:
Does this not seem amazing to you? I was blown away. The mind races with all the potential applications this can have in makeup wear. Covering a port wine stain, scars, age spots, sun damage. I guess the possibilities are limitless. It depends on your creativity. I really have to give Kat a thumbs up for this product. She hit a home run with it.
Have you ever thought about all the ways that makeup influences change? Well, it does. How do you think the ugly duckling turned into a beautiful swan? A makeover of course! I stumbled across an article by Gad Saad Ph.d. It had a cute behavioral study that was performed by Nicolas Gueguen. Here is the premise:
Two women go into a bar and are watched by observers. The point is to see the number of times the ladies get approached or spoken to. Whether they wore makeup or not. So, the ladies go to the bar on two different days. On one day without makeup and on the other with makeup. They sat together and chatted while two male observers kept track of the number of times men made attempts at talking to the ladies.
Here is how it went down:
This is how long it took for first contact
When wearing makeup: 17.09 minutes
When not wearing makeup: 23.08 minutes
Average number of Dudes that tried to make a love connection after one hour
When wearing makeup: 2.07
When not wearing makeup: 1.57
The final conclusion on this little test was that when the women had makeup on they were approached more quickly and more often. Go figure, right? My own little poll of the men in my life has revealed that my fellas (hubby and son) think that if a woman puts a little war paint on it shows that they care about taking care of themselves. I concur.
In another study that I read a while back children were shown pictures of the same woman with and without makeup. They were asked to tell which woman was the nice one and which was the mean one. The number of girls and boys in the study were the same. Overwhelmingly the children picked the lady with the makeup as the nice one. They had to be told that they were the same woman when the test was over, and the kids were all really surprised.
I am sure that you could find all sorts of studies to prove it further. A woman in makeup has nothing but a positive affect on the world. Men even get noticed more when they wear makeup. Don't you agree? Lol.
Leslie
footnote: The above study was written about by Guy Saad Ph.d in the magazine psychology today. The study was performed by Nicola Gueyuen in 2008.
I would like a take a moment, from time to time, to spot light some of the advertisers on my page. It was a really difficult decision to do ads at all. But when I made the jump, I wanted to be very selective. The ads were chosen based on a few criteria.
1. They had to be somehow related to living a more beautiful life.
2. They had to be companies that I believe in based on having done business with them before.
(or have wanted to do business with for a while)
3. They had to be companies that have proven to be consistent in product and customer service.
Today I would like to shine a spotlight on C.O. Bigelow. On their splash page the description of their company is this:
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF BIGELOW...Our 168-year old apothecary tucked amid the bustling chic of New York City's West Village. This on-line catalog is rife with some of our favorite and best selling items: items that have stood the test of time, items that are designed to amuse, and some that are just plain good for you. With our belief in the highest quality products, we travel the world, scouring for items that make a difference in the way you look and feel. For decades our landmark store has been a destination spot for discerning New Yorkers. Today, Bigelow continues to draw a cross section of dwellers, from celebrities (we won't go name dropping), to fashionistas, to neighborhood devotees who cherish the rarity of our old school approach... "If you can't get it anywhere else, try Bigelow... We now ship to Australia, Canada, England and Japan! All international orders are usually shipped out within two business days.
I have not yet made a purchase from them. But as a frequent lurker on their site, I do have a deep interest in ordering the rosemary hair oil. My hair is so dry and frizzy. As a big spender on product, I have to make myself use what I have before I buy more. But as soon as my hair product is down to the last drop, I'll be all over purchasing some hair product. They sell a wide range of cosmetics, color, personal care, apothecary items. Here is a list of the top products in their cosmetics/color range.
Let me know if you have tried products through C.O. Bigelow before. Tell me what your thoughts on the products where. When I make my purchase, I will let you know how it goes, and tell you my opinions on the products, and the company service.
I hope that this post finds you all doing well. It is fridge cold in Texas. My poor puppies don't want to go outside. Maybe the weather is better where you are. Let me jump right in with my dilemma. I have just started out as a makeup artist. I haven't yet begun to work. But I would like to start building a kit to do freelance work. Many of the well known artists sites say that in their kits they have the Makeup forever 12 color flash palette. As you may know, this is pricey and only available at sephora. It comes in at a whooping $93 dollars. I knew that there had to be a comparable product available for less money. After some research I found the Kryolan 18 color shimmering visions cream palette for $53.00.
I don't know about you, but the Kryolan seems like a way better bargain. More colors for less money, and 12 of them seem like exact dupes of the Makeup forever palette. Being pretty new to the industry, I hope some of you can tell my why one would be better than the other.
top pic- makeup forever 12 color flash palette, bottom pic-kryolan 18 color shimmering vision palette
If you look at these side by side you can see the gold, silver, peach, blue, turquoise, red, yellow, green, pink, magenta, white, and brown from the mufe are also in the kryolan. The kryolan has bronze, purple, orange, cream, sea blue, copper in addition. I have heard great things about both products. They both contain the same amount of product per well. So the price difference can't be based on that. I just would really love your opinion People.
As Alice's door mouse would say ,
Thank you muchness,
I am very excited to share this with you. It is so beautiful. The colors are amazing. The names are whimsical and fun. If you have or get one of these, you will truly enjoy it.
Hey Everybody,
Here is a little tip to help you get ready for Valentines day.
Valentine's Day Early Bird Special!
This year, you can get a head start on Valentine's Day! Starting today and through February 10th only, we are offering a couple of special offers! First, on orders over $50, you can get a Free Gift Box & Free Shipping! The promo code will be VAL2. And on on orders over $100, we're offering a Free Cosmetic Case & Free Shipping! The promo code for this offer will be CASE.
This is an awesome site to check out. They have a section for sale items, and it is really fun to shop there.
Le list
1. Mood: half awake, sort of zoned
2. What’s one thing you’ve learned about love? It takes commitment and work
3. Flats or heels? usually flats, but lately I am getting into heels more
4. Coffee or tea? Coffee in a big big way
5. Eyes/lips/cheeks: Eyes
6. Do you watch many award shows? Only if nothing more important is going on
7. Favorite lipstick color of the moment? Heatherette
8. What did you have for dinner last night? A huge chopped salad with feta cheese and ranch
9. Outfit: outfit of the day is jeans and t from nasa that says "I need my space"
10. Weekly goals: My goal this week is to go to the 3 day class from Last Looks Academy being held in Dallas, and learn everything I can about makeup artistry, and to get my daughter through her S A T on Saturday.
I'm getting into the spirit of the upcoming release of Alice in wonderland. Such an amazing book to read. Followed by the second book Through the looking glass. There are some spectacular quotes from the book in the link above. I can't wait for the moving to come out. It promises to be amazing. In the true spirit of our hurried Rabbit, who is late for a very important date, I made sure I wasn't late to order the new Book of Shadows III. The Alice in wonderland pallette. This should be arriving in my mail soon. This time, I rushed to get it before it sold out. The book of shadows II went so quickly at Christmas. They were when I went to get one.
In addition to the Book of Shadows, I stumbled upon the O P I Alice in wonderland polish set. The colors are so lovely. I did a swatch that you will see above. The colors are from left to right:
Thank you muchness
Mad as a hatter
Off with her red
Absolutely Alice
The two glitters are so beautiful when you polish your nails with them. I am not a true fan of glitter polish. These have super fine glitter and go on so smoothly. They do require two coats to have even color. The resulting look is stunning. The other colors are really quite glossy and rich. There are other colors in the Alice in wonderland range. You can find them anywhere O P I is sold. Go down the rabbit hole, have an adventure with these new colors. You will be glad that you tried them. They are so fun.
This video has a little ghost story from my stay at The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma city Oklahoma. There is a bit more detail than I share on the video, but you should be able to track down info on the past and current events there. Also, I am sharing with you some information on where to get some discounted cosmetics from quality brand companies. Many of these products are currently available, and some are being phased out. But hey, makeup is makeup right. If you could get your urban decay liquid liner for half off wouldn't you? So, Check out what I purchased, and listen to some site recommendations. Enjoy the vid!!
